MARONITE PRIEST FLIES WITH BLESSED SACRAMENT OVER LEBANON

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BEIRUT (ChurchMilitant.com) - Jules Gomes -- A Maronite Catholic priest has taken to the skies with the Blessed Sacrament to "bless and protect" his homeland as the coronavirus spreads across Lebanon. With his monstrance, crucifix and and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fr. Majdi Allawi Haqq Qurban hired a private plane and flew over Beirut and other parts of Lebanon last Saturday "pleading with the Lord to protect Lebanon" from the virus. The French and Arabic speaking priest, who spoke briefly to Church Militant from Armenia, said that the purpose of flying over Lebanon with the Real Presence of Jesus was to "bless the country, protect the homeland and heal those who have been infected by the virus."

The flight, led by Captain Khalil El-Khoury and student pilot Joseph El-Masry from the Beirut Wings flying school, took over two hours as Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had risen to 77 with three fatalities. We fear the coronavirus but we are not afraid of God. This is a chance to repent.Tweet Explaining from the words of St. Paul how "nature itself was convulsing on creation" the priest warned: "This is a chance to repent and return to God ... It's time to wake up. It's time to amaze the Lord by our faith. It's time to ask God's mercy for all the humanity." In the video above, Fr. Allawi can be heard praying in Arabic: "We ask God to help us today and keep all sickness and epidemics away and to heal all those who are infected by the coronavirus and to bless the country and save it and most importantly to be with us." Catholics on social media responded ecstatically to the priest's demonstration of faith in the Blessed Sacrament. "We're going to bless all the atheists and there's nothing they can do about it," a Catholic ordinand tweeted. Thousands responded in Arabic with comments of praise and thanksgiving to Fr. Allawi's post on Facebook describing his flight with the Blessed Sacrament.

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Lebanon to declare emergency after a severe storm

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by NAJIA HOUSSARI -- Arabnews -- BEIRUT: Lebanese people experienced terror on Thursday night when a severe storm ravaged mountain and coastal regions, uprooted trees, caused floods and destroyed cars, refugee tents and public statues. Several flights were diverted to Larnaca and Antalya airports after strong winds made landings at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport impossible. The frightening weather conditions came on top of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Social media users described their experience as they stayed at home in line with the government’s directives aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. “Lebanon is flying” was the second most trending hashtag after “Stay home”. Users switched from mocking the situation to sensing its gravity. “Here comes nature’s wrath after the unemployment, dollar, Eurobonds, banks and imported coronavirus crises. The night of strong easterly winds uprooted trees, damaged buildings and affected people. Disasters, disasters and the greatest disaster of all is the dark horizons. May God protect what is left of Lebanon,” tweeted former minister, Akram Chehayeb. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has exceeded 80, and includes an employee of the Ministry of Health. “The infected employee works in the Ministry’s central administration. The virus was transmitted to her by one of her relatives,” the Ministry of Health announced, noting that “we are taking all the necessary measures to isolate her, identify those who were in contact with her inside and outside of the Ministry and make sure they self-quarantine at home.”

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Lebanon’s ‘two crises’: coronavirus and financial collapse

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By REBECCA COLLARD -- Goods flew off the shelves at a supermarket Wednesday in Beirut as Lebanon announced new travel restrictions in response to the novel coronavirus. By Thursday, supermarket shelves were restocked, but the country faces a unique problem in the midst of the pandemic. Almost everything Lebanon consumes is imported — and COVID-19 has struck as Lebanon slides deeper into a dire financial crisis brought on by government corruption and mismanagement. Since October, protesters have been in the streets demanding a new government and an end to the country’s sectarian political system. The Lebanese lira has lost around 40% of its value against the US dollar in recent months. That means everything is going up in price, especially imported goods — which comprises most food, medicine and medical supplies.

At a supermarket in Beirut, Dr. Abraham Hadid, an orthopedic surgeon, pushed a shopping cart filled with canned tuna, corn, soda water and instant coffee. “I’m buying everything I need for a long time,” he said, wearing a face mask and plastic gloves. “I don’t want to come back here because of corona.” Hadid says Lebanon has good doctors and a relatively strong health system, but that system is strained by the economic crisis. That will hurt the country's ability to respond to the outbreak of COVID-19. As of Friday there were 77 confirmed cases and three deaths in Lebanon, and the numbers are rising. “All the equipment we need, needles … serum, the prices of everything are increasing,” Hadid said. “We have two crises so close.”

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Trump Announces National Emergency; Pelosi Touts Aid Deal but Late Issues Hold Up Passage

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by newsmax.com -- President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency in order to free up more money and resources. But he denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available for the new virus, whose spread has roiled markets and disrupted the lives of everyday Americans. Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency," unleashing as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak. Trump also announced a range of executive actions, including a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. Trump said, “I don't take responsibility at all" for the slow rollout of testing.

Late Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal with the Trump administration for an aid package from Congress that would provide free tests, sick pay for workers and bolster food programs. “We are proud to have reached an agreement with the Administration to resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi announced in a letter to colleagues. The House was poised to vote. However, as of 8:30 p.m. ET the vote had not yet occurred. According to a Reuters news alert, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said there were unresolved issues between the administration and lawmakers on the response bill, though Pelosi had thought there was a deal at hand. A few minutes later, though, another alert from Reuters said Trump had indicated he was fully supportive of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, "which will be voted on in the House this evening." No further details were available at the time of publication.

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Salameh: Priority for Transfers to Buy Equipment to Combat Virus

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by Naharnet -- Central bank governor Riad Salameh instructed Lebanese banks on Friday to prioritize transfers for the purchase of medical supplies and equipment to combat coronavirus, the National News Agency reported on Friday. The disease has infected 77 individuals in Lebanon so far according to the health ministry. On Friday, an employee at the ministry was diagnosed with the virus which the ministry said was "contracted from a relative." In light of a liquidity crisis, Lebanese banks have imposed a strap on transfers abroad. But Salameh said it was a priority to transfer money for the purchase of protective equipment against the virus.

Will Lebanon’s Eurobond default spur much-needed reform?

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by middle-east-online.com -- TUNIS - Lebanon has defaulted on its international debts for the first time. Through civil war and social and political turmoil, Lebanon had always met its economic obligations. However, convulsed by a long-foreshadowed currency crisis and battered by the spread of coronavirus, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a televised address March 7 that he was placing the needs of Lebanon’s citizens ahead of its fiscal responsibilities. Announcing the country would not be paying the $1.2 billion Eurobond due March 9 he said: “How can we pay the creditors while there are people in the streets without the money to buy a loaf of bread?” Few were surprised by Diab’s decision. Lebanon’s economy has been in decline for several years. Reports by the Financial Times in 2011 suggested Lebanon’s reliance on domestic consumption and hard currency remittances from the diaspora placed its economy at risk. Over the following years, corruption and mismanagement along with Lebanon’s confessional system of government produced an economic crisis with no immediate solution.

Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world, owing more than $90 billion, approximately 170% of GDP. Official estimates in January stated that inflation was running at a year-on-year rate of 10%. However, a leading consumer association told Bloomberg News that prices have risen 45% since October, affecting purchasing power at an “unprecedented rate” as companies slash both jobs and pay. “Since around August of 2019 and the dollar shortage at the banks, we’ve seen price hikes, a decline in consumer confidence and difficulties in importing and pricing basic goods such as wheat and fuel,” said Kareem Chehayeb an investigative journalist at the Public Source, an independent Lebanese media organisation. Banks that remained open throughout Lebanon’s 15-year civil war are now closing early, cutting credit card limits and dramatically curtailing the public’s access to the country’s diminishing dollar supply. “As the conditions worsened, we saw mass layoffs and salary cuts,” Chehayeb said. “Couple that with an inflated black market exchange rate dominating the markets and people’s lives have clearly worsened significantly.”

Mona Yacoubian, a senior adviser at the United States Institute of Peace, said: “Estimates already indicate that as much as 50% of the population live below the poverty line. Many people have faced layoffs and inflation is rising as the Lebanese pound continues to lose value. Many people are taking a de facto ‘haircut’ as their dollar-denominated accounts are translated into lira at a devalued rate. “Unfortunately, more pain lies ahead in the short to medium term as austerity measures eventually are put in place following the default.” “The medium- and long-term implications of the Eurobond default will very much depend on what measures and reforms Lebanon undertakes following the default. Obviously, a default is never good and Lebanon will necessarily pay a price in the markets for having failed to repay its debt,” she added. Yacoubian said there remained the possibility that the default may spur much-needed reform, which, while including austerity, should “include a shift towards greater transparency and accountability and measures to combat widespread corruption, then the long-term prognosis for Lebanon is far better as the economy will be on a far more solid footing.” Under typical circumstances, a country experiencing similar conditions would look to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support. An IMF delegation made a technical visit to Lebanon in February that it described as “very informative and productive.” However, in the absence of a credible economic plan, the IMF is unlikely to offer Lebanon the level of support required to see it either through its present difficulties or to fund the fiscal stabilisation fund — estimated by former Economy Minister Nasser Saidi to be around $20 billion — to underpin any reform programme. Lebanon’s unique political circumstances may impede any IMF bailout. The Iran-backed Hezbollah, which wields strong influence in the country’s government, is unlikely to welcome what it would see as a surrender of sovereignty over any IMF bailout. An analysis by the global risk consultancy HIS Markit after Lebanon’s default noted that Hezbollah “has repeatedly expressed its opposition to an International Monetary Fund bailout and the measures it would require.” These are said to include cutting bread subsidies, taxing fuel and raising the value added tax. It is possible that the government may undertake reforms without IMF support, looking to cut spending and commence a longer-term plan of tax hikes without an internationally funded stabilisation programme. Credit ratings agency Fitch has suggested that Beirut might raid deposits and savings held by the country’s banks, a possibility the government has yet to rule out. Simon Speakman Cordall is a freelance writer.